There are many stories about multimillionaires or successful entrepreneurs or celebrities who left school without any qualifications. However, a lack of qualifications will almost certainly be very harmful to any young person’s future prospects. 

Almost one in five children leave school at 18 without even basic qualifications (that’s 18%) and more than 9 million children are currently in school. These are your child’s future competitors for jobs, homes, career prospects.  Your children will have to compete and it is your job to furnish them with those qualifications and skills which will enable them to have a fair chance of being secure and comfortable.  You may hear people emphasise ‘so long as they are happy’ but remember that you have an obligation to ensure that they are provided with a suitable education to enable them to access future opportunities. You are strongly recommended not to do less out of sympathy and hope with the words resonating in your ears of those who achieved staggering success without any qualifications. This is very rare; it is unwise to gamble on a child becoming a professional sportsperson, celebrity or wildly successful entrepreneur.

Telling children they can return to their education when they are older is generally unwise. It may be possible but it is far more straightforward for them to receive an appropriate education before the age of 18.  It can be quite depressing for a young person who feels they have been left behind as they see their peer group move on to the next stage of life – university, careers, a new home etc. Adult education is not free and it usually comes at a time when a mature student has other obligations such as a job or young family. It is better to provide your child with a good, all-round education, supported by a range of public exam qualifications at the conventional age.